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Laurence Eusden
Rev. Laurence Eusden (baptized 6 September 1688 - 27 September 1730) was an English poet who served as Poet Laureate.Laurence Eusden, Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. Web, Jan. 27, 2014. Life Eusden was born in Spofforth, North Yorkshire, in 1688 (date unknown) to the Rev. Laurence Eusden, rector of Spofforth, and was baptized on 6 September 1688. He received his education at St Peter's School, York, and at Trinity College, Cambridge. He became a minor fellow of his college in 1711, and in the next year earned an M.A. and was admitted to a full fellowship. Early on, Eusden had decided upon building a career through influence. For someone like him, well-educated, with a fellowship at Trinity, but without family money and without well-placed relations, there was no other way to advance in the world. He began to write, with the intention of using his ability to attract notice to himself.http://www.lincolnshire-web.co.uk/lincolnshire-illustrious/laurence_eusden2.htm And with Newcastle's marriage he succeeded, as he was made Poet Laureate in 1718 by the Lord Chamberlain, Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, as a reward for a flattering poem on Pelham-Holles' marriage.Laurence Eusden - LoveToKnow 1911 Eusden, who was 30 years old at the time of his appointment was also the youngest Poet Laureate. Eusden secured this post due to the death of the previous Poet Laureate, Nicholas Rowe, and the recommendation of Joseph Addison. Upon his appointment, Eusden produced Birthday and New Year Odes for twelve years.Laurence Eusden & Colly Cibber, Office of the Poet Laureate. University of Otago. Web. He was ordained as a cleric in the 1720s, and assumed the office of rector of Coningsby, Lincolnshire, but his elevation to Poet Laureate brought him derision from his social and literary peers. The last few years of his life were unhappy.http://www.lincolnshire-web.co.uk/lincolnshire-illustrious/laurence_eusden.htm He died at Coningsby on 27 September 1730. Writing Eusden's work is difficult to find. However, his [http://quartet.cs.unb.ca/tapor/cgi-bin/view-works.cgi?c=eusdenla.1564&pos=7 The Origin Of The Knights Of The Bath],http://quartet.cs.unb.ca/tapor/cgi-bin/view-works.cgi?c=eusdenla.1564&pos=7 dedicated to the young William Augustus, later Duke of Cumberland, is available online. Its first twelve lines are reproduced below as an instance of Eusden's laudatory style: Though he produced many translations and gratulatory poems, Eusden's literary reputation is dominated by the satirical allusions of Alexander Pope's satire The DunciadLAURENCE EUSDEN (1688 - Online Information article about LAURENCE EUSDEN (1688: e.g. "Know, Eusden thirsts no more for sack or praise; He sleeps among the dull of ancient days." In addition to Pope's skewering of Eusden's abilities, Thomas Gray, author of "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard", said that "Eusden set out well in life, but afterwards turned out a drunkard and besotted his faculties". Recognition Eusden became Poet Laureate in 1718, serving until his death in 1730. Publications Poetry *''Verses at the Last Publick Commencement at Cambridge''. London: Jacob Tonson et al, 1714. *''A Letter to Mr. Addison: On the King's accession to the throne''. London: Jacob Tonson, 1714. *''The Bishop of Ely's Thanksgiving-sermon: Preach'd on the seventh of June, 1716: Done into verse''. London: printed for T. Corbet, 1716. *''A Poem on the Marriage of His Grace the Duke of Newcastle to the Right Honourable the Lady Henrietta Godolphin''. London: Jacob Tonson, 1717. *''A Poem to Her Royal Highness, On the birth of the Prince''. London: printed for Jacob Tonson, 1718. *''An Ode for the New Year: As it was sung before His Majesty''. London: Jacob Tonson, 1720. *''An Ode for the Birthday: As it was sung before His Majesty''. London: Jacob Tonson, 1720. *''An Ode for the Birthday, MDCCXXI: As it was sung before His Majesty''. London: Jacob Tonson, 1721. *''An Ode for the Birthday, MDCCXXIII: In English and Latin''. Cambridge, UK: printed at the University Press for Jacob Tonson et al, 1723. *''The Origin of the Knights of the Bath''. London: Jacob Tonson, 1725. *''An Epistle to the Noble, and Right Honourable Sir Robert Walpole''. London: J. Roberts, 1726. *''Three Poems''. London: printed for J. Roberts, 1727. *''A Poem Humbly Inscribed to His Royal Highness Prince Frederic: On his safe arrival in Great Britain; and On his being created Prince of Wales''. London: J. Roberts, 1729. Collected editions *''Selected writings of the Laureate Dunces: Nahum Tate (laureate 1692-1715), Laurence Eusden (1718-1730), and Colley Cibber (1730-1757)'' (edited by Peter Heaney). Lewiston, NY: E. Mellen Press, 1999. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Laurence Eusden, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Centre Inc. Web, Jan. 27, 2012. See also *List of British poets References *Online Encyclopedia *Otago U *Lincolnshire-web *Lincolnshire-web Notes External links ;Poems *Laurence Eusden at PoemHunter ("The Origin of the Knights of the Bath") *"A Poem Humbly Inscrib'd to the Queen" *Laurence Eusden at Poetry Nook (13 poems) ;About *Laurence Eusden in the Encyclopædia Britannica. *Laurence Eusden and Colly Cibber at Office of the Poet Laureate, University of Otago *Eusden, Laurence in the Dictionary of National Biography *Rev. Laurence Eusden (1688-1730) at English Poetry 1579-1830 Category:English poets Category:British Poets Laureate Category:1688 births Category:1730 deaths Category:Old Peterites Category:People from Harrogate (district) Category:18th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets